Girl Stuff
by wontquitmydayjob
Summary: Nathan Ford faces every man's worst nightmare: his ex and his girlfriend becoming friends.


_I am still hard at work on my other fic, but I'm trying to work out some details, and this is just a silly bit of fluff after the season finale, because ever since season one I have been wanting Sophie and Maggie to become BFFs._

**Girl Stuff**

Nate is reading the paper when Sophie comes down, fully dressed. She leans over his shoulder and says "Four down is Picasso," before moving past him, heels clicking on the floor.

"Where are you going?" he asks. It's not early, but he'd been enjoying the quiet Saturday morning.

"Well, I _was_ planning to sleep in today, but since you derailed that plan-"

"I didn't hear you complaining…"

"Mhm, well, since I'm up anyway, I figured I'd call up a friend. We're going shopping, so I didn't think you'd want to come. Remember I told you I wanted to get shoes to go with…"

She probably had told him, he tended to zone out when she talked about shopping. He tried to pay attention, but given she always looked great, it wasn't as though she needed his help on the matter. And she was right, he definitely didn't want to come.

"Are you going with Parker?"

"Oh, God no. I love Parker, but taking her to shops? It's like minding a child, and she gets bored after fifteen minutes anyway."

"So who did you call?"

"Hm?" She rifles through her purse. "Have you seen my scarf? They gray silk one- I'm sure I was wearing it when we came in last night."

He raises an eyebrow. Apparently they're going to play the "ignore the question" game. Okay, he can play that game. Hell, he practically invented that game.

"Sophie, who are you going shopping with?"

"I'll be back in a few hours," she goes on airily, even more obviously ignoring the question, now digging through her purse for keys and sunglasses.

"Okay," he says, deceptively agreeable. "I thought I might invite the guys over to watch the game. Actually, they'll probably come whether I invite them or not, so-" He moves around the counter as though to kiss her goodbye, and then slips her phone out of her pocket. He's back on the other side of the counter before she realizes what happened.

"Nate! Give that back, that's-"

Fending her off with one hand, he scrolls through to the last call she made.

"Maggie? Who's Ma- wait, _Maggie_ Maggie? You're going shopping with my wife?"

"_Ex_-wife, Nate," she corrects, as always, with a long-suffering sigh, snatching the phone back. Taking it might have been an error, in retrospect, since she's looking pretty pissed off now, but the idea of Sophie and his ex-wife bonding is even more terrifying.

"You're going shopping with Maggie?"

"Yes Nate. I like Maggie, and we have a lot in common, and she's got great taste in shoes. Anyway, I don't see why it should matter."

"I don't want the two of you…you know…talking about me…"

She picks up her purse, rolling her eyes. "Well, fascinating though you are," she says, with heavy sarcasm, "Maggie and I are both intelligent, educated people with a wide range of interests. I'm sure we can find something to talk about other than Nathan Ford."

* * *

><p>The guys do come over (uninvited) to watch the Pats game, and Parker comes too, whether to be near Hardison or for company in general Nate's not sure…he's stopped wondering why they're always (<em>always<em>) in his house. At least this time they boys bring their own beer, so it would normally be a pretty decent way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but he can't stop thinking about Sophie out with Maggie, and what they might be saying about him.

"Where's Sophie?" Eliot asks. "I know she won't wanna watch the game, but she usually tries to get in a few snarky comments about "_American_" football."

"She went shopping…" Nate says, and since that's not the least bit out of the ordinary, the conversation could have ended there, but then he adds, "…with Maggie."

"Maggie's here?" Parker says brightly, bouncing a little, but the guys just stare at him in what he can only assume is mute horror.

"Awww, man…" Eliot finally says, shaking his head.

"Oooooh, that's like every dude's worst nightmare," Hardison agrees. "The ex and the girlfriend…"

Eliot snorts. "Like you'd know anything about havin a girlfriend."

"Hey man, I've dated girls! Hot girls! Like-" he cuts off suddenly, realizing that might not be the best defense to start in front of the girl you'd like to be dating. Of course, that would be assuming Parker was normal, so naturally she wasn't bothered in the least. "Anyway, shut up man, we're talking about Nate!"

"I'm glad Sophie won't have to ask me to go shopping with her anymore. She actually _buys_ things," Parker says, to no one in particular. "That's like…_giving away_ money."

"Man, I bet they're comparing notes…" Hardison says, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you were kind of an asshole to both of them," Eliot agrees.

"Gee, thanks Eliot…"

"Well, at different times. Mostly."

"You shoulda put a button cam on her. Then you'd know what they're talking about," Hardison says.

"Nah, Maggie knows what they look like," Eliot reminds him, and the other three smirk at the memory of that incident.

They're being about as helpful as expected, which is to say, not at all.

She comes back about halfway through the game, predictably loaded down with bags, and he abandons the game (the Pats are losing spectacularly anyway) to follow her upstairs.

"Did you…uh…have a nice time?" he asks.

"Oh yes, lovely," she says cheerfully, holding up a shoe. "What do you think of these?"

"Um, nice…" he really doesn't particularly care, although they are kind of sexy. "So um…what did you guys talk about?"

"Oh, you know…girl things," she says, with a coy smile.

"Like what?"

"You're being very silly about this Nate."

"I'm just…curious."

She puts the shoes down and wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him lightly, then releases him. "You have nothing to worry about. We just talked about normal things. You know…art, fashion, books…"

He relaxes a little. That sounds reasonable. She turns to go back downstairs and he follows her.

"…movies, current events…"

He decides it's really not a problem, Sophie and Maggie being friends. It doesn't really bother him. It's not…

"…how you are in bed…"

"Wait…_what_?"


End file.
